A Scots dog owner has been reunited with her beloved pet after the stolen pup was found 140 miles away in Northern Ireland. Little Issy was just four-months-old when she and her brother Diego vanished from the front garden of their Glasgow home in May last year.
After giving up hope of ever seeing the fluffy duo again, Isabella Roden was stunned to receive a call telling her that one of her dogs had been found straying in Ballymena.
Nigel Devine, from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, was able to find the owner’s details from the pooch’s microchip before helping reunite the pair at the weekend.
Isabella said: “Receiving the phone call from Nigel was incredible and I could not quite believe it. Since then I have done nothing but think of my Issy coming home.
“Seeing the photos of her that Nigel sent has put my emotions all over the place and I still have hope that Issy’s brother Diego may also one day be returned to me. I am so grateful to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for their vigilance.”
With the assistance of P&O Ferries, Nigel travelled to Scotland on Saturday to personally reunite Issy with Isabella.
He said: “I was delighted to be able to bring Issy back home to Isabella who was just so amazed and thankful to get her wee dog back after all this time.
“It is unbelievable that a wee stray found in Ballymena had been taken from Scotland but it just shows how important it is to microchip pets and to report it immediately should they be lost or stolen.
“I’m determined to do my best to track down Diego next and hopefully get him back to Isabella too.”
Prior to setting sail for Scotland, Issy was treated to a free pampering session by local dog groomer Christine Higgins of G8way Grooms, so she was looking her best heading home.
Nigel urged all dog owners to ensure both their dog licence and microchip details are up to date and that in the event of their family pet being stolen, they report the theft to local police and the microchip company.
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